Treatment of stockings and other knitted articles



April 24, 1951 HELDMAlER 2,550,559

TREATMENT OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER KNITTED ARTICLES Filed Dec. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor UIIS HELDMAIER Y MA His Attorneys.

L. HELDMAIER April 24, 1951 TREATMENT OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER KNITTED ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3, 1946 Invent or' LU S HELDMAIER His Attorneys Patented Apr. 24, I951 TREATMENT OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER KNITTED ARTICLES Luis Heldmaier, Leicester, England Application December 3, 1946, Serial N 0. 713,707

In Great Britain December 20, 1945 This invention relates to improvements in the treatment of stockings and other shaped textile articles, more particularly articles made of nylon or a similar polyamide type of synthetic product, hereinafter referred to, for convenience, as nylon stockings. The invention is also, however, applicable to the'treatment of shaped textile articles made of cellulose acetate or pure silk, as will be explained hereinafter.

It is well recognised that for the satisfactory production of nylon stockings it is necessary to subject the stockings to a combined heat and steam treatment in order to plasticise the material, this treatment being known in the trade as pre-boarding. In the past, pre-boarding of nylon stockings has been carried out by mounting the stockings on forms and keeping them; whilst still on the forms, in a stationary steam chamber. This, however, is a slow process and it has been proposed in my co-pending patent application No. 622,019, now abandoned, to carry out this preboarding treatment as a continuous process, the forms to receive the stockings being carried by an endless conveyor which is adapted to take the stockings on the forms, after suitable preliminary treatment if desired, through a preboarding chamber in which they are subjectedto the action of live steam and heat.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a modification of, or improvement on the process of pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles described in my said co-pending atent application, more particularly in respect of the manner of producing the additional heat required and of easily controlling the same.

The apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings accordingv to one form of the present invention includes an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles and a pre-boarding or plasticising chamher through which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, and is characterised by the provision, firstly, of a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit and, secondly, of one or more electric heaters for heating the circulating air to the desired temperature.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the live steam is injected into the air stream after it leaves the heating means (which may be electrically operated or not as desired),

Claims. (Cl. 223-76) reach the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber;

According to yet a further feature of the present invention, the live steam and hot air are supplied to the pre-boarding chamber at or near the bottom of the same. Preferably the live steamand hot air are supplied to the plasticising cham-- her at or near the bottom of one or both sides and leave the same at or near the top.

According to another feature of the present invention, the afore-mentioned fan is adapted to circulate live steam and hot air through a part only of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber,

and a further fan is provided for circulating hot or cold air through the remainder of the preboarding or plasticising chamber, the arrangement being such that in their passage through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber the articles on the forms are subjected, firstly, to the action of the live steam and hot air and sub-- sequently to the action of the hot or cold air.

In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect-,-- I will proceed to describe the same with refer-1 ence to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example certain convenient embodiments of the present invention, and in which- 1 V Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the lay out of a complete plant for plasticising and finish-- Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Figure 2,

and.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through a modified form of plasticising chamber according to the present invention.

Referring now to Figure l of the drawings, the

lant is, in general, similar to that used for the continuous finishing of stockings, and comprises 7. an endless conveyor chain In carrying at spaced and before it reaches the fan, whereby the steam intervals the forms (not'shown) over which the I stockings or other articles are placed at the load ing position I I. The nylon stockings havingbeen placed over the forms (and stretched over the same, if desired) may be first passed through a spray box l2 in which water, hot or cold, is

sprayed on to both sides of the stockings or the like, are then allowed to travel for some distance, as indicated at I3, to allow the water to impregnate the stockings or the like thoroughly, and:

may then be passed through a further spray box 14 in which theyare sprayed on both sides with water. After leaving this spray box the stockings or the like on the forms may be passed between a pair of sponge rubber or similar rollers Hi to equalise the water sprayed on over the whole of the stockings or the like. After emerging from between the rollers, the stockings or the like, still on the forms, are passed into a plasticising chamber IS, the construction and arrangement of which will be described more fully hereinafter.

After emerging from the plasticising chamber I6, the stockings are passed through a drying: chamber in which they are finished or conditioned and are returned to the unloading pointll where the stockings or the like are removed and the forms pass on to the adjacent loading point II. The stockings or the like. may be finished or conditioned inthe drying chamber by means of a stream of hot air, by means of electrically or steam heated panels in the walls of the chamber, by means of the apparatus described in British patent specification. No. 458,550, or in any other suitable way.

Describing now the plasticising, chamber, this comprises an outer metal or like casing 30, which needonly be quite narrow, lagged as at 3| with a suitable lagging, for example, silicate cotton, to prevent the escape of heat. A. narrow vertical opening 32 is provided at each end for the entrance and exit of the stockings on the forms, gap adjusting plates or rollers 33 being provided on either side of the openings. to prevent as far as possible. the escape of the steam. and hot air from within the plasticising chamber I6.

Mounted ontop. Of. the outer casing is. an electric motor 34. drivinga fan 35 which is adapted to. force hot air and steam. into a horizontal, conduit 36. Branch conduits 37 extend from the conduit 36 (preferably at a, number of points as shown) down the sidesof the outer casing 30 and feed the hotair andsteamto the plasticising chamber at or. near the bottom of the same at. the sides as, at 38. Hot air andsteam. isextracted from the plasticising chamber through apertures in a. conduit 39; extending along the top of the plasticising. chamber, this conduit be.- ing in. communication with a heating. chamber 40 which, in turn, is in communication with. the fan. 3,5 throughthe passage 41. The. hot air and steam thus. circulates through the. plasticischamber in a vertical', tr.ansverse, circuit, errtering at the bottom and leaving at. the. top.

In. the heating chamber. all-the: steam andhot air are heated, in one formof the, present invention, by passing over or, through. one or more electric heaters 42, although in other forms. of the present invention gas or any other suitable heat! ing means may be employed... llfhe heating means are, of course, such as to raise: thesteam and hot air to the desired temperature.

Steam is injected into the steam andhot; air circuit at any convenient point by means of one or more suitably disposed sprays; Preferably, however, the steam is injected, by one or more. sprays 43, into the passage 4| connecting the heating chamber 40 tothe fan. 35. Injection. of the steam at this point. will have the advantage that the steam and hot air'will be thoroughly mixed together before they are; fed to. the plasticising chamber;

With a view to controlling the'rate of; flow of the hot air and steam through the plasticising chamber dampers 44: may be provided: in the branch conduits 3'! or elsewhere, as; found. suitable. v

Ifdesired, the convection heating within the chamber may be supplemented by gas or electric heaters disposed along the bottom of the chamber, or at any other suitable place.

- Furthermore, with a view to reducing the time 5 taken to raise the forms to the desired temperature within the chamber, which time is, of course, wasted from the point of View of plasticising the stockings or the like since the forms are travelling continuously through the chamber, the

10 forms may be pre-heated before they enter the chamber in any suitable way.

In. the modified form of the present invention shown inFigure 5 of the drawings, the stockings are pl'asticised and finished or conditioned in one 15. and. the. same chamber, thus rendering the provision of a separate drying or finishing chamber 250', as shown in Figure 1, unnecessary. In this case, hot' air and steam is circulated in the manner' described above through only a portion of 20 the chamber as shown. Like references have been used in Figure 5- to indicate the like parts of Figure-2 and further description of the plasticising part of the apparatus, shown in Figure 5 is deemed to be unnecessary. The stockings on the 5. forms having been plasticised in, say, the first halfof the chamber pass through the second half of the chamber in which they are finished or conditioned. For this purpose a second fan 50 is provided feeding hot or cold air to a horizon- 30 tal conduit 5| and sidebranch conduits 52 corresponding to the conduits 36 and 31. The hot or cold air is admitted to: the conditioning part of the chamber at or near the. bottom of the same and is extracted from the top.

35. I claim:

1. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more, particularly nylon stockings, comprising an. endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of theshaped texmtile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising cham- 'ber through which. the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating superheated live steam and hot air through the pre.-boardin or plasticising chamber in a substantiallyclosed circuit, said steam thus coming. into contact in saidchamber with said shaped textile articles onsaid forms, and at least one electric heater forheating the circulating air to the desired temperature.

Apparatus forpre-boarding orplasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising anendless conveyor carrying forms forthe reception of the shaped textilearticles, a pre-boarding or plasticising cham- 55' ber through whichthe articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and" hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, and means for in- 0 jecting the steaminto theairstream after said steamleaves the heating means and before said steam reaches the fan, whereby the steam and hot air are thoroughly mixed before they reach the pre-boarding' or plasticising chamber.

5 3. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising anendless conveyor carrying forms forthe reception ofthe shaped textile articles, a pre-boardingor plasticising cham- ;-ber through which thearticles on the forms are passed due to movement of' the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, and means for supugplying the live steam and hot air to the prestockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising chamber through which the articles on the forms are passed due, to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and'hot air through the pre-boardihg or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, means for supplying the live steam and hot air to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, and means permitting the same to escape at or near the top.

5. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprisin an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a rare-boarding or plasticising chamber through Which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through a part of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, and of a further fan for circulating hot or cold air through the remainder of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, whereby the articles on the forms are subjected, firstly, to the action of the live steam and hot air and subsequently to the action of the hot or cold air.

6. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising chamber through which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, at least one electric heater for heating the circulating air to the desired temperature, means for supplying the live steam and hot air to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, and means for permitting the same to escape at or near the top.

7. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boardihg or plasticising chamber through Which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, means for supplying the live steam and hot air to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, means permitting the same to escape at or near the top, and at least one damper in at least one conduit carrying the live steam and hot air from the fan to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber for controlling the flow of the live steam and hot air.

8. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising chamber through which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, means for supplying the live steam and hotair to. the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, means permitting the same to escape at or near the top, at least one damper in at least one conduit carrying the'live steam and hot air from the fan to the pre-boarding or plasticisin chamber for controlling the flow of the live steam and hot air, said fan being adapted to circulate the live steam and hot air through a part only of the prerboarding or plasticising chamber, and a further fan for circulat ing hot or cold air through the remainder of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, the arrangement being such that in their passage through the pre-boardin or plasticising chamber, the articles on the forms are subjected, first, to the action of the live steam and hot air, and subsequently to the action of the hot or cold air.

9. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articlesymore particularly nylon stockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising chamber through which the articles on the forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, means for supplying the live steam and hot air to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, means permitting the same to escape at or near the top, at least one damper in at least one conduit carryin the live steam and hot airfrom, the fan to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber forcontrolling the flow of the live steam and hot air, said fan being adapted to circulate the live steam and hot air through a part only of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, a further fan for circulating hot or cold air through the remainder of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, the arrangement being such that in their passage through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, the articles on the forms are subjected, first, to the action of the live steam and. hot air, and subsequently to the action of the hot or cold air, and electrically operated heaters Within the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber to supplement the heat.

7 10. Apparatus for pre-boarding or plasticising shaped textile articles, more particularly nylon stockings, comprising an endless conveyor carrying forms for the reception of the shaped textile articles, a pre-boarding or plasticising chamber through which the articles on the'forms are passed due to movement of the conveyor, a fan for circulating live steam and hot air through the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber in a substantially closed circuit, means for supplying the live steam and hot air to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber at or near the bottom of one or both sides, means permitting the same to escape at or near the top, at least one damper in at least one conduit carrying the live steam and hot air from the fan to the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber for controlling the flow of the live steam and hot air, said fan being adapted to circulate the live steam and hot air through a part only or the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, a further fan for circulating hot or cold air through the remainder of the pre-boarding or plasticising chamber, the arrangement being such that in their passage through the preboarding or plasticising chamber, the articles on the forms are subjected, first, to the action of the Ii ve steam 21-nd=h0f;'-air; and subsequently tothe UNITED STATES PATENTS act-ion 6f the hot or c01d= air,- e1 ectrica1ly OpQiaFGd- Number Name Date heaters within the pie-boarding" or plastmlsmg 1566368 Wither-511 Sept-h 4 1923 chamber to=supp1ement the heat, and means I01 1623030 Ziock 5, 1927 pr hea'ting' the forms ltiriOl' to their entryiIltG-thE 5 1 777 705 t tt t 7 1930 ave-boarding or playsticising chamber. 1343374 Gog-ch et 1932- V LUISHELDMAIER- 1,926,694 Berger'et a1 Sept. 12; 1-933 2,243,997 Berger et a1 June 3, I941 REFERENCES @I'TED 2,316,001 Kitzmill'er Apr. 6, 1943- The foliowin'g references ar of record in the 2-,32'13452 Berger et a1. June 8', 1943 fil'e of this patent: 

